After paralysis, ‘music glove’ helps fingers feel

A wireless, musical glove may improve sensation and motor skills for people with paralyzing spinal cord injuries.

The Mobile Music Touch (MMT) glove looks like a workout glove with a small box on the back, and is used with a piano keyboard. It vibrates a person’s fingers to indicate which keys to play. While learning to play the instrument, several people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) experienced improved sensation in their fingers.

“After our preliminary work in 2011, we suspected that the glove would have positive results for people with SCI,” says Georgia Tech PhD graduate Tanya Markow, the project’s leader. “But we were surprised by how much improvement they made in our study. For example, after using the glove, some participants were able to feel the texture of their bed sheets and clothes for the first time since their injury.”